Overview & Reviews

One of America's most storied automotive brands, Dodge has been around since the early days of the auto industry. In the past couple of decades, it has revitalized itself to be a producer of aggressively styled and performance-oriented vehicles.

Two brothers, Horace and John Dodge, began the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle company in 1914, after having worked as manufacturers of bicycles and automotive parts. Their first vehicle was a touring car that proved a fast favorite with car buyers; it was soon joined by a roadster and a four-door sedan. By 1917, the company's model line had grown to include trucks. Dodge cars and trucks were used as staff vehicles and ambulances in World War I.

Dodge was briefly owned by a banking firm and subsequently sold by its new owner to the Chrysler Corporation in 1928. From there, the brand slowly evolved into the division responsible for trucks and performance-oriented cars. Post WWII, Dodge introduced vehicles like the military-inspired Power Wagon truck, Hemi-powered Coronet and the Royal Lancer; in addition, the manufacturer began offering dealer-installed air-conditioning.

Vehicles like the Dodge Dart and the Coronet kept the manufacturer in American driveways throughout the 1960s. That decade also saw the launch of one of Dodge's most iconic vehicles, the Charger. Dodge's muscle car was based on the Coronet platform, and featured a fastback roof line, hidden headlamps and a full-width taillamp panel. Best of all, the Charger could pack one heck of a wallop under the hood. A 318-cubic-inch V8 was standard, but buyers seeking maximum brawn could upgrade to a 426-cubic-inch, 425-hp Hemi V8. The company also introduced a Mustang-fighting pony car, called the Challenger, in 1970.

As with other American auto manufacturers, Dodge's fortunes started to slip in the '70s due to changing tastes and increased competition. The company was saved from extinction in the early '80s thanks to government loans and the sales success of its Omni and Aries economy cars (the former an attempted copy of the VW Rabbit). But 1984 was when Dodge made its mark in the history books with the introduction of the wildly popular Caravan. Ideal for families and able to seat up to seven, the space-efficient Caravan started a whole new vehicle segment -- the minivan.

The early '90s saw the company wow the public with the V10-powered Viper roadster and an all-new Ram pickup that set a new standard for big-rig-like styling. A few years later, Dodge came to be part of DaimlerChrysler, a result of the merger of the German company Daimler (owner of Mercedes-Benz) and Chrysler.

The merger never really worked, however, and Daimler sold Chrysler and Dodge to a private equity firm in 2007. Soon after, America's economy slid into recession. Due to poor sales and debt, Chrysler had to declare bankruptcy. The federal government intervened and eventually Dodge came under control of Fiat, a European automaker known for its small cars, an area where Dodge's entries had been roundly criticized for mediocre build quality and unrefined performance.

More recent years have seen Dodge concentrate on the more practical vehicles in its lineup, making notable improvements to the performance and overall quality of its midsize Avenger sedan and Journey SUV entries. Dodge also spun off its truck line, making it a separate Ram brand. But make no mistake; Dodge is still considered Chrysler's performance division thanks to cars like the Challenger and Charger. Time will tell how successful Dodge's latest makeover is.

User Reviews:

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  Better then any SUV - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By oleytwo - March 28 - 6:33 am

  Enjoy V8 power and the comfort.

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  Grand Caravan Truly Great - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By L B Room - March 27 - 10:00 am

  The 1996 Grand Caravan 3.0 Engine I purchased in August 96 has really been a fun vehicle. Reliable until 250,000 when I put in a lower priced transmission - mistake. At 300k I changed it for the original again and the vehicle is going strongly again even with occasional light towing. Another thing to watch out for is the fuel pump which went at 306K Kms. The Forest Green with tinted glass remained stylish and ahead of the competition in my view. Great job! Still looks and drives as good as new.

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  High Performance with Seating for Five - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By 2000rt - March 24 - 1:03 pm

  This is an awesome car. It has room for five adults yet performs like a two seater. I laugh at those that those that talk about fuel economy. You do not buy a car like this and complain about fuel economy. It is what it is, a gas guzzler. If I wanted to be economical I would by an econo box!

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  My Mommy Mobile!!! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By I LOVE MY CAR - March 24 - 10:00 am

  We bought our car in mid-June and have over 4,000 miles already. I spend a lot of time driving the kid to practice, friends, etc...and I must say I actually look forward to it just so I can drive my RT. Were already talking about selling ours (I have people getting in line for it)to get the SRT 8. Wish I wouldve known sooner, but wouldnt have been able to wait anyway. After about 2 months and 2 roadtrips, I absolutely love this car. My Chrysler/Dodge dealership in Bristow, Oklahoma has taken fabulous care of us and our vehicles. I will continue to buy Chrysler/Dodoge products for their innovative and stylish designs and also for the reliability an

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  Sweet, Sweet Ride! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By skrapper - March 24 - 10:00 am

  Nicest vehicle Ive driven in a long time. Great if you have children. Safe, reliable, roomie, and fun! Very smooth ride (thanks to the Mercedez engineering). Ive got 20" forged rims on mine with Toyo tires...looks very sharp. Also tinted drivers and passengers window to match rest of car. I get stares constantly. It definitely is the talk of all the cars on the road. I decided on the Hemi engine based on the size of the Magnum...its a big car and would put alot of stress on a V6 engine over the long haul. I see a few people who dont like the interior...saying it looks cheap. I dont agree. Its simple, but has every feature you need.

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  Just something about Dakotas - 1998 Dodge Dakota
  By R/T_Jarrod - March 23 - 2:11 am

  What can I say, it is my second Dakota and I have to admit I just dont think there is another small truck out there for me. How can you beat something that drives better than anything else as far as trucks go, performs beautifully, and has enough power and torque to pull a house off of its foundations? I guess there just is nothing better than driving the best looking, best overall, small truck ever. The best thing is, you can still use it like a truck, even though its a sporty ride at that. Unlike the Ford Lightning, which can haul/tow an astonishing 1500 pounds! Wow, that is weak. Dodge reached as close to perfection as you can get with this truck.

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  Really a Mercedes... - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Ranger - March 21 - 10:06 pm

  Wow--what a car! Dont let its macho looks and American-designed interior fool you. This is really a clone of the Mercedes Benz E-series for half the price! It is as refined and polished as it gets... I narrowed down my search to the Dodge Charger and the BMW 530i/550i. The Charger is right up there with the BMW. Id say the BMW comes out ahead very slightly in the handling/steering and road feel (as always), but it is not $25-30K better than the Charger--maybe for 5k extra only would I choose the 5 series.

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  AWD family sedan disguised as a sports car - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By Jim - March 21 - 7:41 am

  This car is everything I wanted in a daily year round driver. I live in a true 4 season climate along the Lake Michigan shore line. We get tons of lake affect snow during the cold winter months and a good amount of rain in the spring and fall. This car is heavy with lots of steel protecting me and my family. Great traction in all weather conditions with a smooth luxurious ride The AWD system works well and is fully automatic. It engages when you need it and disengages when you dont. Very little road noise and a top notch infotainment system and Beats Audio System. My only gripe is that I dont have HID headlights. (available in the AWD plus package only) I might look into an after market option.

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  Fun car to drive - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Norm - March 20 - 9:32 pm

  The first 1000 miles I just drove it up and down the highway it was so fun to drive with the performance it has. Holds the road with little effort. Brakes are outstanding. First car I have owned that people call it a sharp car. Dealer installed a cold air intake which gives it addition HP. Love the car.

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  Charger SXT! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By xtec - March 20 - 2:56 pm

  I have owned Chrysler cars most of my driving years and this Charger is one of the best cars Chrysler made. It has good power with the 3.5, and it handles great with a very smooth ride. The transmission is the smoothest I ever seen in a Chrysler car. This is todays modern muscle car.